Texier Hat Trick & Canadiens Chop Panthers

     Alexandre Texier collected a hat trick as the Montreal Canadiens handled the Florida Panthers 6-2 at Molson Centre on Thursday night. The Panthers are in the middle of a six-game road trip. The Canadiens jumped to first place in the Atlantic Division. 

     The Habs leaped out to a 1-0 advantage at the 2:59 mark of the first period. Oliver Kapanen won the faceoff in the right circle and Mike Matheson backhanded a pass from the right point. Noah Dobson blasted a one-time slap shot from the top of the zone past Sergei Bobrovsky for his eighth goal this season. 

     Montreal(25-13-5) increased their lead to 2-0 with 2:25 remaining in the first period. Juraj Slafkovsky kicked the puck from the end wall and Kapanen swatted the puck in on a backhand shot for his 15th goal of the season. 

     Florida(22-18-3) cut the deficit to 2-1 at 5:33 of the second period. Sam Montembeault sent a blind outlet pass to his right from behind the cage. Sam Bennett intercepted and then snapped a shot from the low left circle for his 15th goal in 2025-26. 

     The Canadiens extended their lead 3-1 with 6:19 to go in the second. Nick Suzuki backhanded a cross-ice pass from the right point. Alexandre Carrier took a shot from the top left circle and Texier redirected the puck with a backhand tap from the top of the crease for his fifth goal in the season. 

     In the third period, the Habs extended it to 4-1 at 7:26. Matheson passed ahead from his own zone. Texier came into the Cats zone on a 2-on-1 breakaway. had his square pass stopped and then he snapped a shot from the left of the crease. It was his second tally of the contest and sixth goal of the season. 

     The Panthers closed it to 4-2 with 8:38 remaining in the third. Evan Rodrigues brought the puck into the Canadiens zone and snapped a shot from left circle which was saved. Bennett steered in a forehand shot from the right of the crease for second goal of the game and 16th goal this season. 

     The Cats pulled their goalie for an extra skater with three minutes to go. Slafkovsky was awarded an empty-net goal when he had his stick broken by Carter Verhaeghe on a clear breakaway with 2:01 left in the third. 

     Texier picked up a hat trick to give Montreal a 6-2 lead with 49.8 seconds remaining in the contest. Joe Veleno shot the puck from the top of the zone and it was saved. It bounced off Sammy Blais in the low slot and Texier batted the puck in from the right of the crease for his third goal of the game.